ABSTRACT
Packaging materials are classified into different categories by various criteria, either by the majority component in them, which can be biodegradable polymers and biopolymers, or by the origin and synthesis of the materials, which can be natural, synthetic and microbial polymers. Proteins are one the most abundant natural raw materials that can be used for creating novel food structures as films for food packaging, which is one of the larger consumers of industrial plastics. Polysaccharides are, in most cases, the generating matrix of biodegradable packaging, due to the multiple advantages they have due to barrier properties. The use of biopolymers as a raw material in the preparation of packaging is an attractive alternative to reduce the use of plastic packaging. Food packaging systems have an important role in the food supply chain, such as in storage, handling, transport and protection of food from external contamination and in product preservation.
